Historical Context
The Penny Black, issued by Great Britain was the world's first adhesive postal stamp used by a public postal system. The stamp features a profile of a young Queen Victoria.
In 1837 it was normal for the recipient to pay postage on delivery, charged by the sheet and on distance traveled making posting and receiving a simple letter a complex affair.
To simplify things, Rowland Hill proposed an adhesive stamp to indicate pre-payment of postage. The Penny Black and later other stamps, allowed letters of up to 1⁄2 ounce (14 grams) to be delivered, regardless of distance at a flat rate of one penny.
The total print run was 286,700 sheets, a total of 68,808,000 stamps, each now worth around £500.
Photo Info
Location taken: London, England, United Kingdom
Related Events
- 1840-05-01 "Penny Black", the world's first adhesive postage stamp issued by Great Britain
- 1840-05-06 World's first adhesive postage stamp, the "Penny Black", is first used in Great Britain
Related Famous People
Queen of the United Kingdom
Queen Victoria
